Frequently Asked Questions Applications for Fall 2018 Admission Department of Occupational Therapy Colorado State University What applications are required to apply? OTCAS (Occupational Therapy Centralized Application Service) application CSU (Colorado State University) Graduate School application OT (Occupational Therapy) Departmental application materials What are the minimum requirements to apply? Cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. GPA is calculated on the most recent or highest completed degree Feasible plan to complete undergraduate degree prior to starting program Feasible plan to complete all prerequisites prior to starting program GRE All three sections of the general test TOEFL score Required for international applicants Can I apply if I have not completed all the prerequisite courses? You can be in the process of completing the prerequisites when you apply to the program; however, if accepted, all prerequisite courses must be completed before the program begins in August. How many letters of recommendation are required? Three letters of recommendation are required to be submitted to OTCAS. Letters of recommendation are not submitted in the CSU Graduate School application. Where do I submit my official transcripts? Official transcripts are sent only to OTCAS. Do not send official transcripts to the Department of Occupational Therapy or to Colorado State University. Are work or volunteer experience hours required? We recommend that applicants have some work/volunteer experience with people with disabilities or observation hours with an occupational therapist to confirm their interest in this career path; however, we do use this information in the application review process.
Applicants: How many people apply to your program and how many people are accepted? We had over 700 applications for Fall 2017 admission. We will be accepting 50 students for Fall 2018. Deadlines: What is the deadline for applying to the program? All application materials must be received by January 5, 2018 including the OTCAS application, CSU Graduate School application, and OT Departmental application materials. The OT Departmental application materials are accepted until 11:59 pm MST. The OTCAS and CSU Graduate School applications are accepted until 11:59 EST. What if my OTCAS application is not verified by the January 5 deadline? Applications will still be considered if the OTCAS application and fee have been submitted to OTCAS and the following complete application materials are received by the department by the deadline: CSU Graduate School application and all OT Departmental application materials. Are applications accepted for spring admission? No, applications are only accepted for fall admission (August). Am I notified if I have missing application materials? No, applicants are not notified of missing application materials. It is the applicant s responsibility to submit a complete application. Evaluation of Application: How is the application evaluated? The application review process information is available on our website. When are applications reviewed? Applications are reviewed after the January 5, 2018 deadline. Is it to my advantage to apply early? No, applications are not reviewed until after the January 5, 2018 deadline. Essays: What essays are required? Personal statement submitted in OTCAS application: Follow prompt in OTCAS application. Essay in CSU Graduate School Application: Upload the same personal statement submitted to OTCAS. CSU OT Master s Admissions essay submitted to the Occupational Therapy Department: Follow prompt provided in the OT Departmental application materials link.
Fees: What fees are required? OTCAS application fee (submitted to OTCAS) CSU Graduate School application fee (submitted to CSU) GPA: What is the average GPA? The average GPA for admitted students for Fall 2017 was 3.7. What is the average prerequisite GPA? The average prerequisite GPA for admitted students for Fall 2017 was 3.8. How is my GPA calculated? The cumulative undergraduate GPA is calculated on all courses taken up to the time that the undergraduate degree was received. This may include one school or a combination of several schools. If an applicant has completed a 2 nd bachelor s degree or a master s degree prior to applying to the program, the GPA is calculated on the most recent or highest completed degree. Are courses taken after I completed my degree used in calculating my cumulative GPA? No, only courses taken up to the time the degree is received are used in this GPA calculation. What if I have completed a 2 nd bachelor s degree or a master s degree in another field? How is my GPA calculated? The cumulative GPA is calculated on the most recent or highest completed degree. My GPA is below a 3.0. Can I apply? Yes, you may apply if your cumulative undergraduate GPA is slightly below a 3.0 and the remainder of your application is very strong. We encourage applicants to apply to multiple schools to keep their options open. GRE: What sections of the GRE are required? All three sections of the GRE general test are required. If I have taken the GRE more than once, what score is considered in my application? We use the highest GRE score received in each individual section. Is there a minimum score required? No minimum score is required. What were the average scores for people admitted for Fall 2017? Analytical writing 4.5; Verbal 156; Quantitative - 153 What is required by the application deadline date? You must have taken the GRE general test, received your scores and reported them on your CSU Graduate School application. In addition, you must request an official score to be sent to CSU (#4075) from the Educational Testing Service. Although the official score is not required by the application deadline, the official score must be received by CSU shortly after the deadline and will be used to verify information reported on the CSU Graduate School application.
Prerequisites: Do I have to complete all prerequisites prior to applying to the program? No, you can be in the process of completing the prerequisites when you apply to the program (including fall, spring and summer sessions); however, all prerequisites must be completed before the program starts in August 2018. How do I submit my plan for completing the prerequisite requirements? The plan is submitted electronically to the Occupational Therapy Department in the OT Departmental application materials. List all prerequisite courses completed and the grade received for each course. Also, list prerequisite courses you plan to complete before the program begins in August. Can I take some of the prerequisites during the fall semester of the Occupational Therapy program? No, all prerequisites must be completed before the program starts in August. How do I know if my prerequisites meet the requirements? You can follow the content requirements on our website. If you have additional questions, please send a course description or syllabus to the Occupational Therapy Department for review at otinfo@colostate.edu. What is the minimum grade requirement for the prerequisites? A grade of C is the minimum requirement; however, grades of A or B are recommended. Can I take a course for pass/fail for the prerequisites? No, courses must be taken for a letter grade. Is there a timeframe in which the prerequisites must be completed? The only courses that must be completed in a specific timeframe include: Brain and Behavior last 10 years (2008 or later) Anatomy and Physiology last 10 years (2008 or later) What courses meet the Brain and Behavior requirement? The following course titles meet this requirement, have been approved by our department, and do not need to be reviewed: Brain and Behavior, Neuroanatomy, Behavioral Neuroscience, Neurophysiology, Neuropsychology, Physiological Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience, Biological Basis of Behavior, Neurobiology, and Biological Psychology. If the institution that I am attending offers anatomy and physiology as a two or three part sequence, do I need to take all parts in the series? Yes, all parts must be taken to cover all systems. Will Child Psychology meet the Lifespan Development requirement? No, the course or series of courses must cover the entire lifespan from birth to death.
Will a course from another institution meet the Biomechanics of Human Occupation requirement? No, this course must be taken through Colorado State University. This course is offered only to students admitted to CSU-OT master s program. Students take this course from July 16 - August 10, 2018 before starting the master s program later in August. This course is offered as a web-based/in class lab hybrid and students will be required to attend a daily two-hour laboratory on campus (Monday-Thursday over four weeks). Am I required to take Introduction to Occupational Therapy at Colorado State University? No, this course can be completed at another institution if it meets the course content requirements including history of the profession, the AOTA Code of Ethics and core values, and Occupational Therapy Practice Framework. Am I required to take an exam to meet the Medical Terminology requirement? No, applicants have three options to meet this requirement: 1) Completing a course, 2) Certificate of completion from a hospital-based medical terminology course or 3) Successfully passing the challenge exam. The challenge exam is not recommended unless an applicant has significant knowledge in medical terminology. Will a course meet the Human Disease/Conditions requirement? No, this requirement can only be completed by taking the exam. This exam is offered to students who have been admitted to the CSU-OT master s program and will be given during the first two weeks of the fall semester. Recommendations: How many letters of recommendations are required? Three letters of recommendations are required. Is there a specific format for submitting the letters of recommendations? Yes, follow the instructions in the OTCAS application. Will I need to provide letters of recommendations for the CSU Graduate School application in addition to the letters of recommendations submitted for the OTCAS application? The OTCAS application includes a request for three letters of recommendation (evaluations), which will be submitted to and reflected in the OTCAS system. Therefore, you will not be required to enter recommendation requests again within the CSU Graduate School application. Are letters of recommendations required from specific people (occupational therapists, professors, etc.)? No, we suggest letters of recommendations from academic professors, OT practitioners, employers, etc. Is it advantageous to have letters of recommendations from people in a specific area? No, choose whomever you feel can provide the best recommendation regarding your abilities to perform well in graduate school and your skills as a future occupational therapist.
Syllabi/Course Descriptions: What is required? Syllabi/course descriptions are required at the time of application for the following completed courses: Brain and Behavior Anatomy and Physiology The following course titles meet the Brain and Behavior requirement, have been approved by our department, and do not need to be reviewed; therefore, syllabi/course descriptions are not required: Brain and Behavior, Neuroanatomy, Behavioral Neuroscience, Neurophysiology, Neuropsychology, Physiological Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience, Biological Basis of Behavior, Neurobiology and Biological Psychology. How do I submit my syllabi/course descriptions? These materials are submitted electronically to the Occupational Therapy Department in the OT Departmental materials. Are syllabi/course descriptions required for courses that I have not completed? No, submit syllabi/course descriptions for only completed courses. I took the course a few years ago and I no longer have the syllabus/course description. How do I submit this information? Contact the department from which you completed the course. If a syllabus/course description is no longer available from the semester in which you completed the course, we will accept a current syllabus/course description if you can verify that the content is the same as when you completed the course. Transcripts: What transcripts are required? Official transcripts from all institutions you have attended through Fall Semester 2017 are required. Where do I submit my transcripts? Submit official transcripts only to OTCAS. Do I need to submit transcripts to Colorado State University? No, the OTCAS application includes a request for official transcripts from all schools attended, which will be submitted to and reflected in the OTCAS system. Therefore, you will not be required to submit transcript requests again for the CSU Graduate School application. Do I need to submit transcripts to the Occupational Therapy Department at Colorado State University? No, the OTCAS application includes a request for official transcripts from all schools attended, which will be submitted to and reflected in the OTCAS system. Therefore, you will not be required to submit transcripts to the CSU Occupational Therapy Department. I have taken Colorado State University courses. Do I need to submit these transcripts to OTCAS? Yes, all transcripts must be submitted to OTCAS.
Are transcripts required for courses that are listed on another transcript? Yes, transcripts must be submitted from every institution attended. Are transcripts required for courses that do not count towards my undergraduate degree? Yes, transcripts must be submitted from every institution attended. Do I need to submit transcripts for college level courses taken while in high school? Yes, transcripts from the college granting the credit for these courses must be submitted. High school transcripts are not required. Do I need to submit transcripts for study abroad courses? International transcripts are not required for study abroad courses if the courses are listed with credits and grades on the US institution transcript that sponsored the study abroad experience. If not, unofficial transcripts are required from the international institution. These unofficial transcripts can be sent to the Department of Occupational Therapy at Colorado State University by e-mail or US mail. Do I need to submit transcripts if I received a degree at an international (non-us and non- Canadian institution)? No, official transcripts are not required; however, a course-by-course equivalency report from an international transcript evaluation service must be submitted to the Occupational Therapy Department at Colorado State University by the application deadline date. Work/Volunteer Experience: How many hours are required for work/volunteer experience? Although we want applicants to have some work/volunteer experience with people with disabilities or observation hours with an occupational therapist, we do not require applicants to document this information in the application. These hours are not a part of the application review process.